Population officer accused of harassment

BHAKKAR: Two cases of sexual harassment were reported in Bhakkar on Tuesday. The Punjab ombudsperson has initiated an inquiry on one of the complaints.

A woman employee of the Bhakkar Population Welfare Department has complained to the provincial ombudsperson that the Bhakkar district population officer was hindering her work because she had refused his advances.

In her complaint, she said the officer had issued her a show cause notice and had suspended her from service without holding an inquiry and later transferred her. She said the district population officer lived at the assistant population officer’s house where he used to meet and coerce women colleagues into developing illicit relations with him.

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Those who acquiesced were given undue favours while those who refused his advances were blackmailed, she said. The ombudsperson has started an inquiry into the matter. There have been similar complaints filed against other officials at the Bhakkar Population Welfare Department as well.

Separately, police have registered a case against a prayer leader in the City police station precinct for attempting to molest a 10-year-old boy.

Police said the boy’s parents had told him to take food to the prayer leader’s house. When the boy arrived at the mosque, the prayer leader told him to take the food to his room. Police said the boy went to the room where the prayer leader attempted to rape the boy but he managed to escape.

The boy’s father filed a complaint with the City police.

The suspect was sent on judicial remand by a magistrate and has been taken to Bhakkar prison.